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<span style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:11pt;"> </span></span></span><strong style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#222222;"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">Agriculture Minister for introducing income support system for farmers</span></span></span></strong></p>
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<span style="color:#222222;"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">Doubling of farmers income in next five years was the major focus area of NITI Aayog and Himachal Pradesh is required to prepare a roadmap to achieve this goal. Member Niti Aayog, Government of India Prof. Ramesh Chand revealed this in a meeting/interaction session held here today, well attended by the Ministers and Senior Officers of the State Government to address various grievances and pending issues in respect of the state of Himachal Pradesh after formation of the Aayog.</span></span></span></p>
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<span style="color:#222222;"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">Prof. Ramesh said that after formation of NITI Aayog, the focus had been shifted from allocation role towards think tank and policy advocacy adding that besides working as a think tank, it was also providing various inputs to the Government on strategic issues. He said with the resources we could lead towards incremental growth and taking ahead the Aayog by decentralizing planning at State’s level and further taking it to the village level.</span></span></span></p>
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<span style="color:#222222;"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">He said that a trivial slowdown had been noticed in agriculture, manufacturing, market reforms and irrigation sources in the State which needed to be addressed. However, in various other fields the State was giving better results due to responsive governance, he added.</span></span></span></p>
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<span style="color:#222222;"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">Communicating his concern regarding Central Assistance, the Health & Family Welfare Minister Shri Kaul Singh Thakur said that the State used to receive the central assistance in 90:10 and continued to get the status of special category hill State before formation of NITI Aayog. He said in post NITI Aayog era, the state got a major setback when the funds were reduced drastically in Centrally Sponsored Schemes and Industrial Package was also stopped. He said various schemes under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojna had been approved and submitted to GoI for approval, but no response was received so for. He urged the NITI Aayog to provide bonus for Himachal in lieu of its commendable role in forest conservation and putting a complete ban on felling of green trees. He also requested to bring the villages having population less than 250 within the fold of PMGSY, so that road connectivity could be ensured upto small habitations keeping in view the topography of the state. </span></span></span></p>
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<span style="color:#222222;"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">Agriculture Minister Shri Sujan Singh Pathania while presenting his concern over nationwide farmers plight advocated for introducing income support system for farmers, else their condition would continue to worse and the vision of doubling their income would defeat. He said under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna funds had been reduced to Rs.20 crore from Rs. 90 crore and likewise inadequate funds were provided under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Yojna and micro irrigation schemes, he added. He requested to bring the trout fish framing under crop insurance scheme.</span></span></span></p>
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<span style="color:#222222;"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">Earlier, in his inaugural address Chief Secretary Shri V.C. Pharka said that the State Government was in a position to achieve most of the targets by the year 2022. The commitment was reflected in the budget speeches of Chief Minister for the year 2016-17 and 2017-18. However, the challenges were that development in all dimension must be inclusive, everywhere and should be built through the participation of everyone, adding that the State Government was in the process of preparing the vision, strategy and an action plan to meet this end.</span></span></span></p>
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<span style="color:#222222;"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">Shri Pharka while appraising various concerns of the State, said that drastic decline in funding by GoI would definitely come into the way of doubling the farmers income in next five years. He said reimbursement claims of Rs. 105 crore under Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme and Rs. 125 crore under Flood Management Programme were lying pending with GoI. He said State had received Rs.148 crore less from the level it received in 2013-14 under National Rural Drinking Water Programme.</span></span></span></p>
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<span style="color:#222222;"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">Advisor, NITI Aayog, GoI Shri Anil Srivastva, in his presentation emphasis on cooperative federalism where states play a key role in national policy formulation and newer initiatives to foster economic growth. He said 15 years long-term vision, 7 year mid-term strategy and 3 year short-term action plan commencing from this fiscal had been formulated by NITI Aayog. He also gave a detailed overview on NITIs key indices. </span></span></span></p>
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<span style="color:#222222;"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">Earlier, Additional Chief Secretary, Planning Dr. Shrikant Baldi welcomed the guests and dignitaries and also conducted the proceedings.</span></span></span></p>
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<span style="color:#222222;"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Engineer-in-Chiefs of PWD and I&PH also submitted their concerns and suggestions before the Aayog on this occasion.</span></span></span></p>